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Feb. 27, 2008
Works for Me Wednesday
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Easy Way to File and Organize Recipes - Copy all your recipes onto 3x5 cards and store them in a photo album. The albums are not only a great way to keep organized, but they're also great for keeping spills off of your recipe cards!
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Jan. 21, 2008
The Mega-Family 4 Step Guide to Organization!
Jan. 18, 2008
"7 Ways to Leave Your Clutter"
by Barbara Myers Everyone has some degree of clutter lurking at home. When you're tired of moving it around, stepping over it, and losing important items in it, it's time to take control of the clutter. What should you do with it? You have seven options:
1. Dispose of it. Much of clutter is trash you either thought you would need or figured you'd throw out later.
2. Put it away. about half of the remaining clutter in most homes consists of items that simply haven't been put away. Fill a laundry basket then deliver the items to their proper rooms. avoid this clutter trap by making things easy to put away and by enforcing a family "use it and put it away" rule.
3. Donate it. if you don't use it, it's not a treasured decorative item or memento, and it's not a important piece of paper, get rid of it. Pass it along to someone who can use it.
4. Refer it. the novel you've been saving for Debbie, the recipe you copied for Aunt Jan and the gloves borrowed from Mom need to be sent or delivered to their rightful owners. Gather them and make your rounds tomorrow.
5. File it. Set up a "hold" file for wedding invitations and concert tickets (after you note them in your calendar). Set up a "to file" file for all important papers.
6. Fix it or have it repaired today. Those buttons aren't going to sew themselves. Either mend them or take them to a seamstress. The same goes for the broken toys, watches and electronics.
7. Give it a home. Everything else is something that belongs in your home but you don't know what to do with it. Where DO you put extra batteries and your kids' artwork? Designate a permanent place in your home for each group of items you find in a clutter pile. Simplify by making a list of items and where they belong.
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Dec. 26, 2007
Organize Recipes - on my to-do list!
Are your recipes in order? Do you have recipes that were sent in e-mails that you printed out, tried (or have yet to try) that are just stuck somewhere? I do! I LOVE to find recipes on the internet, rather than in a traditional cookbook, so my recipes are usually sent to me (by myself - ha) via e-mail. I print these out and keep them neatly, but not so organized, in a cupboard. However, I NEED to copy the ones I try and like onto 3x5 cards and put them in a nice photos album - a small one for each category (main dish, sides, breakfast, dessert, etc.). I am going to try to do this during my usual reading or TV time.
Here's a neat article on organizing your recipes! Try to use one of these methods to organize your recipes!
Are you already organized in that department? How about sorting through and tossing the ones you no longer need or want?
Happy Organizing!
~ Lisa
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Aug. 31, 2007
The PocketMod - a FREE Organizational Tool!
| This is something that is free to everyone. I haven't tried it myself, but I think I will!
Pocket Mod is an online program that takes a sheet of paper and shows you how to fold it up into a book with 6 pages, one for each day. You can put type in your to-do list, appointments, goals, zone work, schedule, etc. for each day and it will print it out on that page. When your done, you throw it out and make another.
It says it can be interfaced with a PDA, but it looks useful to about anyone!
What is a PocketMod?
The PocketMod is a new way to keep yourself organized. Lets face it, PDAs are too expensive and cumbersome, and organizers are bulky and hard to carry around. Nothing beats a folded up piece of paper. That is until now. With the PocketMod, you can carry around the days notes, keep them organized in any way you wish, then easily transfer the notes to your PDA, spreadsheet, or planner.
The PocketMod is a small book with guides on each page. These guides or templates, combined with a unique folding style, enable a normal piece of paper to become the ultimate note card. It is hard to describe just how incredibly useful the PocketMod is. It's best that you just dive in and create one.
What makes the PocketMod so special?
Many things make this little personal organizer special, here is a list.
- It fits easily in your back pocket or purse.
- It's as cheap as one piece of paper (Because that's all it is!)
- It opens like a book. Leading to easier to find, more organized notes.
- The first page has a pouch, big enough to carry a business card!
- Customizable with "Mods" tailored to your needs.
- It's free and fun!
How do I start?
It's easy! Just select the "Create PocketMod" link above to start. You will need the Flash Player in order to run the application. PocketMod will run in your browser. Just select a "mod" from the list and drag it from the preview area to a page. After you have created your PocketMod book, select print. Once it has printed, you will need to fold it into the "PocketMod" form. Just view the "folding" video from inside the application for help.
That's it! Happy organizing.
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Jul. 25, 2007
Children's Bedroom Management
This is a great article! Be sure to sign up for the "Large Family Logistics" e-zine (link at bottom). ~ Lisa
Children hate overwhelming messes just as much as you do. And like you, they can pretend not to see it for a long time. When you or your husband can’t stand the sight anymore it turns into a big teary event with impatient words, threats, and a big box for the junk/treasures. Let’s stop this nonsense cycle, it is not glorifying to God.
Children need to learn to clean and care for their belongings. We, as the parents, are responsible for teaching them Biblical stewardship principles. Children aren’t born knowing organizational and management skills. Well, most of them aren’t. I did hear once of a little boy that was very careful about every little thing in his room down to lining up his shoes a certain way. Out of eight children so far, I have some that have tendencies towards being more organized than others. None, however, knew how to pick up their toys, books, clothes, shoes, and all their other little things without somebody teaching them. Yes, they can get something out and they should be able to put it away but they were born with a sin nature which causes them to choose the lazy way of leaving something lie at the location that they were done with it. Sounds like me. I fight it in myself everyday. Self-discipline, the skill that a child needs in order to return a toy, keep his room clean, and brush his teeth every morning, is something that we as parents need to teach them. It is a painful and long process. Well, I think it is anyway. But the rewards are worth the work.
The children and I like to see a clean bedroom. We admire it, and pat each other on the back. We talk about working as unto the Lord and how much He wants us to be good stewards of His gifts. Instead of the painful pick-up of a pig-sty we are learning how to be better stewards.
Now, let’s not make any excuses and get started. Precious treasure and oil are in a wise man's dwelling, but a foolish man devours it. Proverbs 21:20 There are two things that make bedroom cleaning easier to keep up with.
One is to have a regular daily routine. When the children are used to doing the same thing at the same time day in and day out it becomes a habit. The longer they do that one thing, the more ingrained it becomes. Think of meal time routines. Usually we eat at the same time, following the same patterns every day. That is why it is easier to build new habits or scheduled items around mealtimes. Routines are not a bad thing. I know that there is an impulsive anti-routine crowd out there, let me advise of you of one thing. Your children will be happier and more secure with a routine. This does not mean that you can’t occasionally break from it and do go on some exciting adventure, it simply means that an ordinary day will go more smoothly for everyone if a routine is followed. Give it a try for awhile and see if I’m not right.
The other thing that makes bedroom cleaning easier to keep up with is know what to do and how to do it. When the little children change their clothes be there with them (or a big kid) and teach them to put their dirty clothes in the basket. If they drop it on the floor, stop them and say, "Where do your dirty clothes go?" and say it with them, "The dirty clothes go in the basket." The bed needs made every day of course, doing this one thing makes the bedroom appear neat and clean simply because the beds are the largest objects in the room. Point this out to your children and when doing a room clean-up make the beds first. It bolsters the spirits to see a neatly made bed at the start of recovering a disastrous room. To get your children to make their beds every day will require diligence on your part to check up on them. Of course add it to their chore charts and teach them how to do it properly but also do the next step of checking up on them. Know well the condition of your flocks, and give attention to your herds… Proverbs 27:23
Self-discipline on your part will translate to self-discipline on theirs. I know it’s hard and there are a hundred other things that you would rather do, but do you really want to be raising slobs? Teach them when they’re young and it will be easier as they get older and they will in turn teach the younger children. When they are grown and have a neat and tidy house, they will thank you for teaching them these little basic skills. While you are teaching them and checking on them, be joyful, sing, and talk to your children with a smile in your voice. A cheerful heart is good medicine but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. Do not dry up the bones of your children. Train yourself to wake up with joy and spread that joy to your children as you help them and check on their bedroom chores every morning.
Morning bedroom chores should be done in 5 minutes or less and kept simple. I.e. Make the bed and put clothes in proper place and shut doors and drawers. You should be doing the same in your bedroom. If you have lots of little children and no big kids to help train, then do each bedroom as a group teaching as you go. When tackling a big disaster you really need to do it with the children as a team. While you work, talk conversationally–not lecture style about why we clean, how we clean, how we keep it clean, and so on. The littlest children need you to get down with them, on their level and pick up toys with them. Make it a fun game. Pick it up by type of item i.e. Pick up dolls first. If you can, try to keep toys out of the bedrooms except for one or two favorites. Keeping all the toys in one area of the house makes the pick-up more efficient and when the children have no reason to play in their bedrooms the bedrooms stay neater.
Look at the bedroom from the children’s perspective and talk to them about what is needed to make it more neat and organized. Your children need to learn how to organize, how to work efficiently, and how to stick to a task. You will probably have to do this work with them for awhile until they have learned how. After you feel they have successfully learned how to do the work, you will then need to inspect it after they are done and hold them accountable. If they see you doing these same tasks in your bedroom while they are working, they will work more willingly. They hate to feel that they are missing out on anything fun that might be going on elsewhere in the house.
Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found trustworthy. 1 Corinthians 4:2
To prevent big bedroom disasters from happening and to keep the bedrooms thoroughly clean, work through the following focus areas. You can do the work whenever it suits your family; we do them during Afternoon Chore Time. Work hard for 15 minutes. Take a break if it’s not done, then work for another 15 minutes. Teach the children to complete the job and not leave it half-way. Some of these chores won’t take that long at all and all if them if consistently done will be easy. It’s when dirt and debris is allowed to pile up that a job turns awful. Once again, if you have only little children then do each room as a team. If you have older children that are able to work independently then be sure to encourage and inspect their work while you work on your bedroom or help the little children.
Shared bedrooms should be done as a team by the occupants. You might want to further break down bedroom chores and assign them for children who share rooms. Write down the following bedroom chores on a paper, slide it into a page protector, and hang it on a door or someplace in the room. Place a copy on the refrigerator or wherever you hang your other chore charts so that you can advise the children from "grand central station".
Week 1 Have the children straighten and de-clutter the tops of their desks, dressers, tables, window sills or any other flat surfaces in their bedrooms. Assign one surface per day, or assign a time period per day, or assign a day of the week to spend some time on this area of their bedroom.
Week 2 This week have the children clean under the beds. After shoveling it all out (the fun part) they might be overwhelmed. Give them a trash bag for the trash, and then put all books away. Next, all stuffed animals, and the rest of the toys to their proper place. Finally, put away whatever else is left. Hopefully, there are no rotten apple cores. Like everything else, if this is done on a regular basis, it never gets that bad. But left for 6 months, the under-bed clean out can be quite a trial.
Week 3 This week is for the children to straighten their closets. Have them get in the corners, nooks, and crannies, and dig all the things out that they might have tossed in and forgotten about. After digging out, they must put things in their proper place. Put the clothes on the shelves or hang up. If they are old enough to sort out the torn, stained, too small, unworn clothes have them do so and put into the trash or a give-away box. Doing this regularly is essential for clothing and closet control.
Week 4 This week, the children de-clutter, straighten, and thoroughly dust the shelves in their rooms.
Week 5 This week have the children clean windows and curtains, as needed and if able to; walls–de-clutter and catch cobwebs; wipe grime from light switches; lights–dust and change bulbs if able to; door–dust top, wipe grime from door and door knob.
By teaching your children to do a 5 minute bedroom clean-up routine every morning and a focus area every week, you will help your children learn to be organized and self-disciplined. It’s not easy to teach your children these things but you are helping them learn Biblical character traits. While working with your children you are also building relationships with them and teaching your children how God wants us to work.
Whoever is slack in his work is a brother to him who destroys. Proverbs 18:9
submitted by Mrs. Kim Brennaman of Large Family Logistics
~ 2006 ~ All Rights Reserved ~ Used with Permission
Kim Brenneman is wife to Matt and mother to Brandt, Brock, Bridgette, BriAnne, Brooke, Brian, Bronwyn, and Brielle
She loves to be with her family, cook, garden, sew, read, and write about it all with babe in arms.
Large Family Logistics
Serving the Unique Needs of the Large Family
mail to:kim@largefamilylogistics.net
http://largefamilylogistics.net
*Subscribe to the FREE Ezine published by Large Family Logistics*
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Jul. 16, 2007
Get Rid of Clutter in an Hour or Less
Getting rid of clutter doesn't have to be a long, drawn out process. You can complete this entire list of clutter- reducing projects in an hour or less.
1. Toss 10. Grab a trash bag. Find ten items in your home that you no longer need or want and put them in the bag. Toss the bag in the trash or put it in your donation box, and never look back.
2. Clear a surface. Find at least one cluttered surface, like a coffee table or dresser top, and completely clear it of all clutter--swiftly dumping any trash.
3. Toss old magazines. Go through your home and gather any old magazines or newspapers you've already flipped through. Recycle or donate them today.
4. Weed out 5. The thought of weeding out your entire filing system may seem daunting, but anyone can weed out just 5 file folders.
5. Pick through a junk drawer. Whatever you can't identify or is clearly junk (meaning you'll never use it) gets tossed.
6. Toss anything expired. Go through your fridge and medicine cabinet, gathering anything perishable that has expired. A good day to do this is on garbage day, so you can hand off what you've collected to the trash collector.
7. Dump junk mail. Quickly go through your pile of mail and dump anything that is clearly junk mail.
8. Put things away. While carrying a large shopping bag with handles, go through your home putting at least 8 things that are not in their correct place in the bag. Then, deliver those items to their proper homes.
http://www.getorganizednow.com/foffhome.html
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Jun. 28, 2007
FREE Ebook! Organized Kidz! EZ Solutions for Clutter Free Living!
I just LOVE things, especially FREE things, having to do with organization! Below is a link for a free e-book geared at homeschoolers, but would probably apply to anyone with kids, on how to get organized with kids! You have to log-in or register on the site before you can download, but I have been a member of the site for a while and it is good -- they won't send you a bunch of junk. Just notices of free stuff every once in a while.
Got kid clutter? Does it always seem that "organization" means YOU clean and THEY destroy? It can appear that getting yourself and your kids organized and keeping things that way is Mission Impossible. Not so!
Organizing strategist and mom, Debbie Williams, teaches you how you and your kids can get excited about getting organized. You'll learn quick and fun steps getting your children to help with organization and upkeep of their rooms and other rooms in the house. Keeping things neat and tidy will soon feel like a game that both you and your kids will enjoy. During the course of this book, you'll discover:
· how to become an AWESOME Organizer in four easy steps
· five steps to discovering more hours in your day
· how to establish a creative and inviting space for your children using learning styles, the psychology of color, paper management and so much more!
When you teach your kids creative organizing solutions to contain their clutter and involve them in the organizing process, you'll be thrilled at their eagerness to keep things clean and in place.
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May. 15, 2007
Keeper of the Wardrobe
Though we dont't use uniforms or dress "special" for school work, we are dressed for the day when we begin our homeschooling. It helps you to be prepared for answering the door at an unexpected time. It's also nice to be able to fly out the door at a moment's notice if the need arises!
~ Lisa
Keeper of the Wardrobe
Kym Wright
We’ve all heard the humorous question posed to homeschoolers: Do you just do school in your pajamas? Since we are at home, the temptation to do that is very strong, but what are we teaching our children?
An international image expert says first impressions count, evaluations are made in the first three seconds, and these are virtually irreversible. When I was growing up, our school made the decision that the students could wear jeans to school. There were some off days when I would indulge in this new ruling, and dress a bit sloppier than normal. At times, my wise father would gently pull me aside and ask why I was wearing certain clothing. Then he would say, Kym, when you feel your worst, dress your best. It helps you feel better. Off I would trot to change into something to give me a better edge.
When we began homeschooling, I had been in the fashion field as a consultant. I enjoyed my role as a professional shopper, helping people put together wardrobes for their profession and lifestyle--which helped them make the best use of their clothing budget and gave the image they desired. Coming home to teach my children, I didn’t lose the desire for us to dress nice; I just had fewer opportunities to wear my business suits. However, I wanted my children to learn to dress presentably, even if we were living most of our lives at home and on a modest income.
I also noticed that the way I dressed set the tone of our lives: if I chose to show up in sloppy clothes or a houserobe, school just didn’t seem as important to the children, nor did I get the performance level and attitudes I desired. But, when I made the extra effort to wear something nice, even if it was simple, it dramatically changed the atmosphere of our home and school.
We don’t wear school uniforms, but while researching the effect uniform dressing standards has on schools, I found these positive results:
- decreasing violent behavior
- instilling students with discipline
- helping students concentrate on their school work
So, for our house and school, we decided to set some standards of dress for personal integrity and wholesomeness. We don’t usually dress alike, though when the children were younger, I did make many of their clothes, and dressed them in the same colors--just because it was easier to dress them each day and pick them out of a crowd while on a field trip. Everyone wear your red outfits today, just made sense.
Some of our desires were to get dressed first thing each morning, wearing modest clothing that matched its mates and were the proper size, appropriate to the weather, and not wrinkled or dirty. With little boys, the last one was a challenge--sometimes their activities just seem to manufacture dirt!
Every day, I put on something presentable, and so did the children. But, soon we found we had to make some organizational changes to accommodate our raised standard. So we chose to prepare ahead for every situation that arose. Let me share some of the steps along our way.
Organization
There were two specific areas we needed to organize in our lives: clothing storage and cleaning--or, in more everyday terms, closets and laundry!
Closets: Before I tackled our closets, I read books on organization and found that there are basically two ways to store things: vertically or horizontally. Horizontally, we can put items in a drawer, a bin, or on a shelf. For vertical storage, we can hang them in a closet, on the wall, or on the back of a door.
Research indicates that we wear 20% of our clothing 80% of the time. Well, that just wasn’t good enough odds for me, so I wanted to weed out those things we really didn’t wear to make life simpler and make every article of clothing work for us. Also, with many children, our bedrooms and closets housed more than one child, so space was at a premium.
We set a date to go through the closets, gathered large bags and sorted things to keep, give, or toss. Then we organized the things we kept, storing like things together.
Each person had their own place to keep their shoes: either a large tub for the little ones, or a shoe hanger to hang in the closet. When the children took off their shoes, they were instructed to put them in their place. On those days when shoes couldn’t be found, after helping them look, I would gently remind them that a system only works if we work it, and that I don’t wear their shoes, yet I end up spending my time helping them look for them when they don’t follow through in caring for them.
We make use of vertical space by using the four-tiered multiple skirt/pants racks. Jackets are hung together, dressy clothes towards the back of the closet or in the least reachable place, based on their frequency of use. Long sleeved shirts hang in a group, as do play dresses, short sleeved shirts, and pants.
For seasonal clothes, we store them in tubs on the top shelf of the closets, and in lidded bins under the beds. I try to label everything so next year I don’t have to rummage through each box to refresh my memory and find what we need.
Laundry: The goal became to stay on top of the laundry and create a system to simplify the process. So, we purchased some shelves and large laundry baskets. We labeled the shelves with the different ways we sort the laundry: whites, lights, reds, greens, darks, and jeans. We also separated towels into lights and darks. Each category had its own basket and spot on the shelves so the children who had the task of taking dirty clothes to the laundry room could easily put them into the proper basket. This made it so much easier on me, since the sorting was already finished--and the laundry room was organized and not in disarray.
Since I don’t like to iron, I set a timer to remind me when the dryer has finished its cycle, and I can whip those items out of the dryer before the wrinkles have a chance to set. A rod with coat hangers in the laundry room helps me with this task, and is also used for hanging those things which should be line-dried.
Preparation
Some ways we prepared for our clothing needs were just really being aware of our lifestyle, activities and climate. First, we tried to stay on top of upcoming events. A field trip to the zoo requires different clothes than going to the symphony. So, weekly or monthly overviews of the calendar help us prepare.
Being aware of the times children tend to grow and change sizes helps us keep each child outfitted with clothes and shoes which still fit.
When we lived in south Florida, we had only one real season, with variations on the hot theme which made our clothing needs simple. Now that we live in a climate with four distinct seasons, we have seasonal clothes which range from lightweight summer outfits to coats, hats and mittens. Going through these twice a year helps us maintain a useable wardrobe.
In the early spring, we pick a day to sort last year’s summer clothing to see what fits, what doesn’t, and what we need to buy or make to complete our needs. We make a list of the things we need to buy, which makes our shopping easier. In the fall, we go through this same routine for our winter clothes.
Another way we prepare is to have the accessories we need for each item. My little girls love hair accessories, so we bought each of them a hinged-lid plastic box with a handle to store their hair items in. This helps so much with getting ready for church on Sunday mornings, especially. Belts have their own special organizer attached to the wall; each hook holds several belts. Socks, stockings, jackets and sweaters, scarves and other accessories are all stored in similar ways.
I also take the children’s measurements* about twice a year and put them on a 3x5 card. When shopping without the children, I consult these cards and am still able to purchase items for them with relative accuracy of fit. This works especially well for garage sales and consignment shopping.
Conclusion
As the mother, when we take the time to organize and prepare our clothes--and our children’s wardrobes--it makes dressing nice as easy as not. And as we teach our children how to dress well, we are influencing their future, the impressions they make, and the lives of future generations.
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Twenty-year homeschool veteran, author and speaker, Kym Wright pens the Learn and Do Unit Studies, written for or with her eight homeschooled children. You can visit her websites at: www.KymWright.com and www.Learn-and-Do.com. She can be reached by email at: Kym@KymWright.com
*Important measurements to take: Height, chest, waist, hips, back waist length (from the base of the neck in the back, to their waist), sleeve length, pants length, dress length, shoe and hat size, and perhaps ring size. www.kwiksew.com/techinfo/measure/children.htm
This article was originally published in the Mar/Apr ’07 issue of Home School Enrichment Magazine. For more information, visit http://HomeSchoolEnrichment.com
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Apr. 17, 2007
The ABCs of Order in Your Home
by Marilyn Rockett
Okay, Ladies—let’s talk. It’s time to drag this idea of organization out of the shadows, dust it off, and take a good look. We know we need “it” but we aren’t sure where to get “it” or how to keep “it.” We see a friend or acquaintance with “it,” and we wonder how she does “it.”
Why does organization seem so difficult? We long for order out of our chaos, but the whole thing seems to elude us at times. If we could just grasp “it” long enough to show some positive progress, we would feel hope for long-term solutions to our dilemma.
Each of us fights a private battle with organization. Do you lack training? Do you have lazy habits? Do you have a rebellious spirit toward your role in the home? Are you just too busy juggling too many balls? Is school time or your use of a particular curriculum crowding out other important tasks because you fear that you won’t provide a good education for your children? Have you forgotten your priorities? Maybe you’ve never sorted out your priorities; consequently, you jump from one task to another, leaving unfinished jobs strewn from one end of the house to the other. Whatever your particular nemesis, you may be tired of the fight and you yearn for peace and order in your home.
If you desire that order, you have come to a profitable place for change. As in anything you do, you have to want the results or it just won’t happen. My experience has shown me that there is no one “right” system for everyone, but there are certain principles that help all of us, no matter what battle we fight.
When all around you is falling apart, you must begin small, taking one baby-step at a time. Begin at the beginning with the ABCs of order.
Acknowledge Your Successes and Failures
Despite your feelings, you probably are doing some tasks well. Identify those things and examine why you are successful in those areas. Even if you see only one thing, look at it and ask yourself these questions: Do I like doing this particular thing? Am I good at it, and do I feel successful when I do it? Is this an easy task for me?
For example, you may love to cook. You love to create new dishes that are nutritious and tasty. You enjoy experimenting with recipes, and you seldom use one exactly as it is written. Possibly you serve several “famous” dishes that everyone raves about. Experiencing the joy of seeing your family savor a wonderful meal that you have prepared for them makes homemaking worthwhile to you. However, your home is falling down around you—the laundry piles higher every day, green rings decorate your toilet bowls, and you would rather throw a shirt away than sew on a button.
You obviously have applied your creative spirit to your culinary skills and have experienced success with that area of your responsibilities. Congratulate yourself for that ability and keep up the good work! Remind yourself that you do some things well.
Now, look for ways to carry that same creative bent to the things that you enjoy less. Decorate your bathroom by hanging fresh curtains and some lovely pictures. Use a pretty tray to keep items neatly on the bath counter. Add a picture of your husband or your children to smile at each morning as you get dressed. (One of my favorite pictures sits on my bath counter.) It is harder to leave that green toilet ring when your bath is pretty and inviting.
If the mending stares at you but you would rather put off doing it, try gathering all your supplies into a pretty basket large enough to hold them, plus a few mending items. Place the basket next to your chair in the family room (or on a shelf nearby, if you have young children who love to rummage through things like baskets). When you sit down in the evening, pick up the mending while a family member reads aloud or the children relate their day to Dad. Tackling one or two items quickly is easier than facing a large stack of mending at one time.
Accept the fact that you can do some tasks better than others. Admit your weaknesses and look for ways to improve in those areas.
Build a Basic Routine
If you often jump from one task to another without finishing anything or you feel as though you don’t know where to start on most days, you need a basic routine. Your creative spirit may bristle at the thought of a “schedule,” but a simple, doable framework frees you and allows time to accomplish the basics.
Make a weekly routine based on a predictable sequence rather than on certain minutes or hours to do what you need to do. A simple routine that you stick to, even for part of your day, is the single most helpful thing you can do to restore order to your home. After all, it was skipping those basic responsibilities that brought about the chaos in the first place.
A simple, skeleton routine that allows for housework time, play time, and school time allows you freedom to be flexible while still maintaining order and a generally clean and tidy home. If you keep it simple, you will find more time to do other activities without sacrificing your home on the altar of the urgent.
Evaluate each room in your home, deciding which things are most important to accomplish and which could wait, if necessary. Write those things down on paper as you walk through your home. Then use the list to establish your routine. You and your family must grocery shop, cook meals, wash dishes, do laundry, clean floors, and make beds—or at least change sheets occasionally. You may want to include a daily pick-up time to help keep clutter to a minimum. Include anything else that helps you maintain your home at a reasonable level of functionality.
Put your routine on paper, marking blocks of time each day for activities such as housework and chore time, school time, fun time, and any particular commitments such as music lessons, sports practices, and so forth. Post the routine where the family can see it, and stick to it as much as possible. Remember that you don’t have particular hours or minutes to do things, rather you have blocks of time to accomplish the necessary tasks—chores after breakfast, school time after chores, and library trips on the days you take the children to music lessons, for example. If an emergency shifts your routine, just go back to the basics as soon as you are able. Assign chores to each of your children old enough to do them, and supervise to see that they complete what you expect of them.
Most important, don’t overplan. If you stay too busy with multiple activities, you won’t have time to teach your children to work and to maintain your home in a God-honoring way—not perfect, but presentable.
Continue to Change
Motherhood, homemaking, parenting, and teaching children are not for wimps! Those jobs are difficult and require continual learning and adjusting. I don’t know anyone who has ever accomplished all of them perfectly.
Change is difficult, isn’t it? If you haven’t done well in keeping your home, determine why and then work on that particular problem. Your example of a commitment to persevere will teach your children to keep going when things are hard and to continue to learn and grow in all areas of their lives.
Don’t be afraid to make changes in how and when you do things. If something isn’t working, change it. Find the best method and time for you and your family, and don’t do something just because your mother did it that particular way. Ask older women for help and ideas or find a mentor. Scripture tells us that the older woman should teach the younger woman (Titus 2:3-5), but we seem to forget that practical admonition in today’s culture. Someone else who has been where you are often can see problems that you are overlooking. Don’t be too proud to ask for help.
I’m so grateful for the new beginnings the Lord provides when needed. He desires that we work toward homes that honor Him, and we can trust that He will give us the energy, power, and new beginnings for our tasks.
Praise Him for your strengths and offer your weaknesses to Him for His correction and change. The only “it” that matters—and that you need—is a heart that longs to honor the Lord through your home and a desire to go back to the basic ABCs, when needed, to accomplish what He has given you to do.
Marilyn Rockett is a “graduated” homeschool mom of four grown sons and Mimi to six homeschooled grandchildren. The Rocketts home taught for fifteen years before they ran out of sons to teach. Her new book, Homeschooling at the Speed of Life (B&H Publishing), to be released in April 2007, provides organizational helps. Marilyn has contributed articles to many publications, gives Minding Your Time Seminars and speaks at homeschool and Christian women’s events. She presents Passing the Baton Seminars that encourage and teach adults how to effectively mentor. Visit her website at www.MarilynRockett.com or contact her at marilyn@MarilynRockett.com to learn more.
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